


Better late than never

by minatozagays



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-17 05:51:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17554607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minatozagays/pseuds/minatozagays
Summary: Traffic jam may not be that bad, after all.





	Better late than never

**Author's Note:**

> OK SO I saw this edit on twitter of that Momo pic in the car and I thought... listen... I need to write a oneshot about this: https://twitter.com/hiMoMotamus/status/1087719785671086080?s=19
> 
> And so I did.
> 
> (Thanks to my beta for always correcting my messy grammar akxbwkxb)

**7:30 am.**

It's August in Seoul, the street thermometer of a nearby pharmacy reads 25°C. Momo gets in the taxi, greeted by the driver with a bright smile. She takes off her jacket, fastens her seatbelt and sighs loudly.

“To this address, please.” Momo extends a piece of paper to the driver, who frowns but takes it anyway.

“Oh, miss…” the driver starts, “We'll have to cross the city center for this, it's in the business district.”

“How long will it take?” Momo can't hide the worry in her voice, “I have a job interview at 9:30, I can't be late.”

“I don't know… usually it takes about an hour, but at this hour the traffic jam will be huge… I'll try my best, I promise.” The driver gives her a reassuring smile, and Momo smiles back at her.

“Better get going then.”

 

**8:30am**

The weather is getting hotter by the minute, and being stuck in a car under the warm sun doesn't help at all. Momo is starting to get really nervous. She decides to start small talk with the driver.

“It seems we're going to be here for a while, huh?”

“Yeah… the GPS says we'll arrive at around 10… I'm really sorry, miss.”

“Oh, please, call me Momo.” She waves her hand in a dismissive gesture, “After an hour stuck in traffic I think we're there in our relationship.”

The driver just laughs in return, shaking her head, “Alright then, then you should call me Jeongyeon.”

“Okay, Jeongyeon?” Momo leans forward, “Can I pull the window down? It's boiling in here.”

“Sure, sorry about the AC again, I'm getting it fixed tomorrow…”

Momo presses the small button next to the door handle and a soft, cool breeze welcomes her. She inhales deeply, regretting it seconds after as she smells a hint of gas from all the cars around them.

She looks down at her phone, her thumb hovering over the call button. She decides to do so, and crosses her fingers.

A soft, high-pitched voice welcomes her, “Good morning, this is the M Corp HR department, how can I help you?”

“Hi, yes, good morning,” Momo clears her throat before continuing, “My name is Hirai Momo. I have a job interview today and-”

“Ah, yes! I called you myself to offer that interview,” Momo could hear the woman giggling, “Is there any problem, Ms Hirai?”

“Actually… I'm stuck in traffic and I don't think I can make it in time…” Momo makes a signal to the driver, who's looking at her through the rear-view mirror. Jeongyeon answers, moving her hands to let Momo know the approximate hour they'll get to the building, “I'll be there at around 10:05… I'm really sorry.”

“Oh, honey, don't worry. Our CEO called and said she would be late as well, so you have some time. We will be waiting for you.”

“Alright, thank you. Could you tell M Corp CEO I'm sorry anyway?”

“Sure, dear. See you later.” The call ends and Momo just frowns at her phone. That was one of a kind HR woman.

“You're applying for M Corp? Wow, it must be important.” The driver then honks, screaming dumbass at a motorbike who just passed next to them.

Momo smiles at that, “Yeah, not really. I'm just applying to be the CEO assistant. A friend of mine gave them my CV and they called me the day after, so I had to say yes.”

“Her assistant? Wow, that's scary. I've heard she's a hell of a woman.”

“I mean, I wouldn't know. I don't even know her and-”

“You jackass! You're gonna get yourself killed!” Jeongyeon screams again, this time at a biker who almost gets squeezed between two cars, “Sorry, I interrupted you, you were saying?”

Momo shakes her head, laughing softly, “It's okay, don't worry… Could you play some music, though?” Momo is really bored, and they were barely half way through.

“Any preferences?” Jeongyeon says, turning on the radio.

“Actually, can you play it from my phone? I have the wire... but I don't know if it would work.”

"Hey, the AC may be broken, but I don't live in the Paleolithic,” Jeongyeon grabs the USB end of the wire and plugs it to the car, adjusting some settings after, “Now, choose whatever you wanna play.”

“Alright then, get ready, miss.”

 

**9:00am**

“We still have an hour of journey, Ms Myoui. I'm sorry. Do you want me to call Ms Minatozaki again?”

“I told you a thousand times you can call me Mina, Dahyun. And no, it's okay, I texted her already. Thank you, though.” She smiles at her driver, who returns a shy smile and closes the small window connecting the front seats with the back.

Mina goes back to reading her paperwork. She looks at some pictures, reads resumes and highlights a few important things. She sighs and goes onto the next document.

After a few more minutes of reading, something catches her attention. Loud, catchy music, to be precise. She looks through the window, finding out the sound comes from a taxi few meters ahead of them.

Soon, the lane she was in advances, and they reach said taxi. Mina frowns at the view, looking down at the last document she read. She smiles, pulling her window down and enjoying the music.

“Oh Jeongyeon! If you liked Chase Me you'll love this one!” Mina looked at the woman inside the taxi, raising one eyebrow at her when she started singing. A soft voice replies from inside the taxi, but Mina can't quite get what it said.

The woman, who hasn't noticed Mina yet, starts singing even louder when the chorus comes, and Mina just laughs.

“Baby you and-” Momo goes quiet, turning her head to face Mina, whose arms were resting on the pulled-down window. Momo stays still, like a deer caught in headlights, looking at the woman.

“Dreamcatcher would hire you as their eighth member, please, continue.” Mina teases, a smirk playing in the corner of her lips.

At this, Momo pulls the window up and lowers herself enough to hide from Mina's view. Jeongyeon sees her reaction on the mirror, and just laughs at her.

“Wow Momo, are you ok?”

“Yeah, totally,” She lies, “Just the usual me embarrassing myself in front of pretty women.”

Jeongyeon turns her head, looking at Momo and then through the front passenger window, at Mina. Her lane was moving a bit faster now.

“Oh, she's…” Jeongyeon remembers something Momo had mentioned before, and a playful smirk shines on her face, “Momo, you don't know who she is, do you?”

“No, why? Should I?”

“Oh, I don't know, it's just she keeps looking at you and waving her hand-”

“She what?” Momo pulls the window down again, looking at the car next to them.

Jeongyeon smiles and puts the music volume down, her eyes back on the road.

“Oh, look who's back!” Mina smiles at her.

“Do I know you?” Momo inquires, her cheeks acquiring a soft peach tone from the blush.

“If you're asking me that then I don't think you do,” Mina pauses, tilting her head and smiling widely, “I'm Mina.”

“H-Hi Mina,” Momo seats straight again, her cheeks now red. Mina waits for the girl to share her name, but she doesn't. She can see how the driver mutters something to her, and Momo shakes her head.

Suddenly, the driver starts honking nonstop, which startles her a bit.

“Fine! Stop it!” Momo says, then turns to Mina again, “I'm Momo, nice to meet you,” she raises her hand, waving it at Mina.

“Momo? Correct me if I'm wrong but that kind of sounds Japanese…” Mina asks.

“Yeah, that's because I'm Japanese. Moved to Seoul when I was 12 with my family… did my studies here, moved out, worked as an assistant here and there...” Momo catches Mina sitting properly again, looking down on her lap, so she frowns and assumes the conversation is over.

“And what got you caught up here?” Mina's soft voice was back.

“Huh? You mean in Seoul? I told you my family lives here too and-”

“No, I mean in this traffic jam,” Mina's head is resting on her hand now, facing Momo again.

“Oh, well, I'm on my way to a job interview, but I don't think they'll hire me since I'll be really late.” Momo sighs loudly.

“I don't know, Momo, maybe they surprise you.” Mina smiles again and Momo blushes once more at the sight of it, “What are you applying for anyway?”

“Assistant at M Corp,” she says.

“To be the CEO’s assistant?”

“Yeah… I know what you'll say, she's so scary, she seems really cold, good luck, bla bla bla… I'm tired of hearing that.” At this, Mina frowns and looks away, her face changing into a mixed expression Momo can't read, “I don't know if all that is true or not, but their head of HR has been so nice to me, so how bad can this woman be?” Mina smiles again, looking back at Momo,

“Does that mean you don't know the CEO?”

“Nah, I don't. All this interview thingy was really fast. A friend of mine took my CV there two days ago and they called me yesterday, so…” Momo shrugs, “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, why are you stuck here?”

“Well...” Mina starts, not really knowing what to answer, nodding to herself when she finds something to say, “You could say it's a really similar reason as the one you have.”

“You're going to that interview too?”

“Actually, yes, I am.” Mina holds a giggle, “What a coincidence, right?”

“Right…”

They keep talking for a while, about Momo mainly, Mina looking away down at the documents resting on her lap from time to time. Momo likes it. She likes Mina's voice, Mina's dimples, Mina's smile. She is lost in thoughts when she notices Mina's vehicle stops while hers keeps moving, making the distance between them bigger and bigger,

“See you around, Mina!” is all she screams before Mina's face is out of sight.

 

**9:45am**

“Oh my God, what?” Momo is furious now, “THIRTY MORE MINUTES?!?”

Jeongyeon had stopped the music to turn on the radio. According to the woman on the radio news, there had been an accident at the entry of the business district, and that road had been closed.

“I'm sorry Momo, but the fastest way around will take an extra fifteen minutes…”

“At this point I don't even know why I'm going. They won't hire me at all.”

Jeongyeon looks at the rear-view mirror, seeing a familiar car approaching, “Don't lose hope, Momo. As Mina said, maybe they surprise you.” Momo whines loudly just when Mina's car stops next to her.

“Hey there, what is it?” Mina says from the car window.

“Well, bad news for the both of us I guess,” Momo starts, her head resting on her arms, leaning on the window frame, “They closed the main road that accesses the business district, so there's still 30 minutes to go…”

“Really?” Mina disappears in the darkness of the car, talking to someone - her driver, Momo thinks. Mina's head pops out of the window again, her car now a few meters ahead, “Guess we're stuck together some more time, huh?”

“You say that like it's bad?”

“Not at all, Momo, I assure you I really enjoy talking to you.”

“R-Really?” Momo's eyes are wide open, “How much do you enjoy it?”

“Enough to treat you to lunch after the job interview.”

Momo's cheeks flush red, and Jeongyeon just laughs at her. She mouths a ‘shut up’ to her, but when she faces Mina back, her car is nowhere to be seen.

“Damn it!” Momo mumbles, crossing her arms in front of her and frowning angrily.

“Cheer up, Momo. I'm sure you'll see her again.”

“You're sure of many things, Jeongyeon.”

“I sure am.” She laughs, making Momo roll her eyes.

 

**10:12am**

“Thanks for everything, Jeong.” She takes her change back and smiles at her, “You saved my number, right?” Momo was leaning on the front passenger door, talking to the driver through the open window.

“Yes I did, now go get that job Hirai. You can tell me all the juicy details one of these days while drinking a beer.”

“What do you mean juicy?” Momo says, but Jeongyeon just laughs at her while driving away. Momo shakes her head, smiling in return. She adjusts her suit before entering the huge building in front of her, breathing deeply. “Ok Momo, you can do this” she thinks to herself.

A tall, beautiful woman smiles at her the moment she steps in. The receptionist, Momo deduces. She approaches her in a rush, fixing her hair on the way.

“Hi, I know I'm super late but-”

“Ms Hirai, correct?” Momo frowns and nods quietly in return, following the woman with her eyes as she goes around the reception desk. She indicates Momo to follow her, and so she does.

They get to a big elevator and the receptionist presses the button. Once the doors open, the tall woman shows her in, pressing the last floor button. The short journey last less than half a minute and Momo feels so awkward she doesn't speak at all.

The doors open once again and the receptionist nods at her, “You can wait here. You should be called in soon.” She says with a smile.

Momo exits the elevator and before she can turn around to say bye, the doors are already closed. She sighs, facing the few chairs of the waiting area and sitting down.

She's not alone. About 6 other people are sitting around her, too. One of them, a middle-aged man, keeps getting up and sitting down. Momo understands his nervousness and tries to make small talk to calm him down.

“So, have you been waiting long?”

The man looks at her and nods, his poker face not changing one bit, “It's been almost an hour I'm here and no one has said a word to us. I'm getting tired.”

“I heard the CEO was late due to traffic jam, so maybe she hasn't arrived yet.” Another woman says, sitting few chairs away from Momo, who assents in return.

 

**10:50am**

“Hirai Momo?” The high pitched voice comes from the door Momo couldn't stop looking at. She gets up in a rush, fixing her suit for the nth time and entering the office. She bows to the woman before her, sitting only when she indicates her to.

“Good morning, miss. I'm sorry I was so late-”

“It's okay!” The woman smiles at her. Her bright, toothy smile soothes Momo a bit, “We've talked on the phone. I'm Minatozaki Sana, head of HR at M Corp.”

She takes some highlighted documents from a nearby pile and smiles at them. She raises her eyebrow, over reading some notes on Momo's CV, smirking when she looks back up at her.

“ _Should we get started then?_ ” Sana speaks in Japanese. Her voice is serious now, slightly more intimidating than what Momo has been expecting, but she answers in the same language, with the same fluency.

“ _Alright, let's begin._ ”

 

**11am**

“ _Wait here a few minutes, please._ ” Sana says in their mother tongue once Momo is out of the office, shaking her hand. “As for the rest of you,” she says, back to Korean, “We won't be hosting any more interviews. Sorry for the delay and any inconvenience we may have caused. Have a good day.”

Momo sits down again. People start complaining around her, but she doesn't pay attention. Her thoughts have traveled to that woman she met on the road. Still no sight of her.

She wonders if Mina just gave up, being even later than Momo.

She sighs.

 

**11:10am**

Momo is still sitting, not knowing what to do. She decides to get up and walk towards Sana's office, decided to knock on the door. It opens before she can do so, though, and Sana looks at her with and expression Momo can't read.

“I was just going to look for you, Ms Hirai,” she starts, a grin on her face, “I've been talking to the CEO and…” she pauses, looking up and down at her, “Even though I told her you're the most qualified candidate for this spot, she wants to see you herself. Take the elevator at the end of this corridor, the one with the golden button and-”

Momo’s sudden pale face alarms the other woman, who approaches her and rests her hand on Momo's shoulder.

“Are you feeling okay?” Sana inquires, worried.

Momo shakes her head, “Yes, sorry, it's just…” she clears her throat, “Thank you so much, Ms Minatozaki. For everything.”

“Please, call me Sana from now on.” She squeezes her arm and winks at her before adding, “The elevator’s over there. Good luck.” and closes the door again.

Momo doesn't move for a few seconds, her legs not responding. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. She finally moves, walking to the elevator and going in once the doors open.

Ten seconds later, the wall behind her opens to a huge room, black and white furniture taking over. She approaches a nearby desk, sitting on one of the chairs reserved for guests.

“So you finally made it, huh?” A soft, familiar voice behind her makes Momo turn around, her mouth making a perfect o.

“M-Mina?” Momo's voice manages to make it out of her throat, “What are you d-”

“Most people know me by Ms Myoui, but for you I'll make an exception.” She says while walking towards Momo, leaning on her desk barely a meter away from her. “I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the interview. Sana told me you'd be the best assistant I'll ever have, but I already knew that.”

“I- your assistant?” Momo was still shook, words barely making any sense in her head.

“Momo,” Mina said slowly, “I'm M Corp's CEO, Myoui Mina.” She smiles at her, making Momo blush as well as calming her down, “Now, we need to discuss some points of your contract and if I remember correctly, we have a lunch date pending. Downtown sounds good?” Mina moves, taking a purse from a nearby coffee table and walking to her private elevator at the back of the office. “ _You're not coming, Hirai?_ ” She says in Japanese, with the hint of a grin in her voice.

“ _I sure am_ ,” Momo says as she gets up quickly, rushing to Mina's side. “ _I hope we don't get stuck in traffic on our way to the restaurant, though. I've heard it's awful today._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope ya'll liked this small piece of MiMo. Remember you can find me on my twitter acc @minatozagays 
> 
> Have good day!


End file.
